Family Boat Tour
The tour starts at Dobrota 101 or close to your apartment. Followed by the presentation of the itinerary that can be tailored to accommodate your special interests. The trip to the island of Our Lady of the Rocks will take about 40 minutes depending on the sea state.
Our first stop (20 min) is Our Lady of the Rocks. Read more about this island.
Legend has it that sailors fleeing a storm in the mid-15th century found an icon of the Mother of God on a rock. This event served as a motivation for building a church on this ridge for being saved from the storm (the construction lasted 200 years). Since then, there is a tradition that sailors, after returning from their voyages, lay stones on the shores of Our Lady and leave gifts in gratitude for protecting them at sea. The church is dominated by a marble altar with an icon of Our Lady, followed by a museum with a rich collection of paintings and objects brought during centuries by sailors from around the world. Wedding rituals also take place in the church.
The wall above the icon is decorated with wedding bouquets that the bride gives to the Mother of God as a pledge of family happiness. Then follows the famous tapestry that J. Kunić from Perast embroidered for 25 years while waiting for her beloved to return from the sea. She wove the hairs of her hair into the tapestry, so the color changes from gold when she was young, to silver, which she embroidered in old age. At the end of the 15th century, the church placed a marble altar with an icon. You may go to the altar and find a small hole in the back wall of the altar, put your hand in the hole and you can say a secret wish.
Our next stop is the St. George island (20 min). This place has a mystic quality.
This island is also called the island of the dead, because there is a large cemetery where only famous people of Perast used to be buried. On the island there is a Benedictine monastery from the 12th century, and a small church dedicated to St. George. We can stop and take photos, but the entrance to the monastery is not allowed. I have assurances from the church authorities that it will be open to visitors this year. The story of Romeo and Juliet of Perast is connected to this place. Ante, a young soldier in Napoleon’s army, was stationed on the island of St. George. In Perast he met young Katica and fell in love. One day Ante received an order to shell Perast with a grenade from the island. He fired the first and last grenades, and Perast surrendered.
Ante was happy that it ended quickly, so he went to the city to visit his beloved, but he found her dead. She was killed by a grenade with which Ante targeted Perast. Ante asked the people of Perast to bury Katica on the island. He became a monk and a faithful guardian of her grave, lighting a candle every night. The people of Perast brought him food and water and everything else he needed to survive there. One evening they noticed that there were no candle light. They went to the island by boat and found dead Ante. He was buried next to Katica on the island where there are two monuments next to each other. On one it says Katica, and on the other Frane. Next to their graves grew two cypresses that merge at the top and thus symbolize the eternal love of Katica and Ante.
Our next stop is Perast (40 min).
The only street by the sea leads you to the main town square dominated by the church of St. Nicholas. On the church facade there is a clock delivered from Venice in 1730. Near the church there is a bell tower 55 meters high (1691) which is the highest on the Adriatic coast. The bell tower offers one of the best views of the town and the bay. The bell tower is open to visitors during the summer tourist season.
In Perast there are 19 preserved palaces (17th – 18th cent.) built in the Baroque style.
The most famous are the Zmajević Palace, the Buković Palace, which now houses the Maritime Museum, the Smekja Palace opposite the island of St. George, the largest in the town (currently a five-star hotel); Visković Palace is the oldest in the city (1500). There are also many smaller palaces. In Perast you can also see the fortifications where the inhabitants were hidden during the Turkish offensive. Fortress of the St.Cross above the town was built in the 16th century in 50 years, but it has been destroyed still waiting for a reconstruction.
We set sail from Perast and prepare for swimming, diving and jumping (20 min). The swimming position will be away from the waterway, safe and secure for bathers. The water is impeccably clean, and with a light breeze from the mountains or the sea it is pleasantly refreshing. During the activities in the sea, a glass of light home-made brandy or cold beer, and possibly seasonal fruit, are served, all served in the sea. At the end of the swim time, guests can take a sunbath on the deck of the boat. The return from the tour will take about 40 minutes.
Don’t miss out – Fašinada July 22, 2024!
You can contact us so that we can organize participation in the local festivity on time. This tradition is not only symbolic, but it also has practical value, because it strengthens the foundations of the island. In addition to throwing stones into the sea, there will be a traditional regatta. In the evening prizes are awarded to the winners on the island of Our Lady of the Rocks, and after that we can go to the old town where the festivities continue until late at night.
This tour usually starts at sunset and lasts until 22.00.
Upon your wish, the trip can be extended.